Hyperkinetic Kayak

Hyperkinetic Kayak was an interactive installation consisting of a kayak, a virtual 3D landscape simulating an ice sea, and a continuous data feed of air temperatures around Greenland from the meteorological Institute in Greenland. Seated in the kayak, visitors could navigate their way in a universe of icebergs, sea, and sky – a seascape conjured up from the laws of nature. The virtual seascape was affected by real-world changes in air temperature, and by the rower's movements; it could be still and quiet, as well as turbulent and loud.

The juxtaposition of the virtual universe and real-world data created a direct, concrete, physical-sensory experience of how global warming affected Greenland’s landscape. Hyperkinetic Kayak became a three-dimensional expression of the experience of the magnificent Greenland seascape, and the incalculable consequences of the rising temperatures.

The visual expression was Nordic, but also colorful and dynamic, and was visible to both the rower and the audience around the 3D stereo. Added to this was an interactive soundtrack that gave the rower and the audience a strong and immersive experience.

The project was curated by TEKNE Production, and was presented at the Impact exhibition at the Climate Summit, in 2009. The Impact exhibition thematized climate change through contemporary art.